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RI Breakers Spring Showcase – Event RecapMarch 19th, 2008
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"They Stuck With Me" |
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BlueGoldNews.com |
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Steady is a good word to describe Mazzulla’s game. In both of his games with the 76ers Wednesday at the Reebok ABCD Camp, the left-hander was effective at penetrating into the lane and making something positive happen either for himself or his teammates. One teammate in particular, Daniel Hackett (6-5 200) from Downey, Calif., was the benefactor of several of Mazzulla’s passes. Mazzulla also showed he can easily penetrate, stop on a dime and pull-up and hit the medium range jumper in the lane. Mazzulla demonstrated the ability to see the entire court, although he appears to be slightly less than his reported 6-2 height. On defense, Mazzulla is a very pesky defender and disrupted numerous passes by deflecting or stealing the ball from his opponent. “I’m not flashy.” Mazzulla said. “I ‘m
strong fundamentally and I make my teammates better by setting them up for
easy baskets or open looks. I’m definitely a pass-first, shoot-second kind
of player. I can score, don’t get me wrong, but being a strong leader on
the court is probably my greatest strength.” If Wednesday is any indication, WVU appears to have found a solid replacement at the point guard position to help ease the loss of J.D. Collins after this season. West Virginia has now settled into a nice rotation at the point. Nichols will have spent two seasons backing up Collins after next year, and will be primed to move into the starting spot as a junior. Mazzulla, arriving at the same time, could then follow Nichols' path and make his own push for the starting job two years later |
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CCRI's Mirkovic to join SMC in the fall
COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's basketball coach Tom O'Shea has announced that Milos Mirkovic (Novi Sad, Serbia) has signed a NCAA national letter of intent and will play for the Division II Purple Knights this fall.
Mirkovic, a 6-foot-8-inch center, played one year for Coach David Chevalier at the Community College of Rhode Island after one season at Division II Wingate (N.C.) University and a standout high-school career at Saint Andrews School in Barrington, R.I. Mirkovic played in every game for CCRI this season, averaging 8.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. He led the Knights to an undefeated record in Region XXI play, and a District Tournament championship.
"Milos will give us a big body who is a post player, which is something we certainly need," said O'Shea, who enters his ninth season at the helm of the Purple Knights in the fall with a 124-106 career record. "He has played two years at the college level, which gives him the experience to step in and contribute immediately. We will look for him to rebound and become a post presence."
Hawks' Mazzulla
chooses West Virginia over URI
Journal / Ruben W. Perez
Bishop Hendricken guard Joe Mazzulla couldn't pass on the opportunity to play Big East basketball.
When all of the the handwritten postcards, school
brochures and pictures of one West Virginia athlete after another kept
coming to his house, Joe Mazzulla took notice.
Almost every day over the last year, the Bishop Hendricken junior point
guard found West Virginia material in his mail box. That's one key reason
why Mazzulla approached Mountaineer coach John Beilein on his official visit
to the campus on Tuesday.
"They put absolutely no pressure on me, but I found out that was the best
place for me," Mazzulla said yesterday. "So I went to coach Beilein and told
him I wanted to be a Mountaineer."
As Mazzulla spoke yesterday, he received a text message from his future
coach on his cell phone that read: We are all smiles here at West Virginia
University.
Mazzulla, a Journal All-Stater who led Hendricken to a 19-1 record and its
second straight state title last winter, said he'll sign a letter-of-intent
with WVU in November. He had narrowed his college choices down to WVU or
Rhode Island, and he says calling Rhody coach Jim Baron with the news on
Tuesday wasn't easy. Mazzulla and Baron's son, Jim, Jr., were backcourt
mates with the Hawks for two seasons.
"It was very tough to say no to Rhode Island, a very tough phone call,"
Mazzulla said. "But coach Baron knows I respect him a lot."
Mazzulla, a 6-foot-2, 185-pounder who lives in Johnston, averaged 16 points,
8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2.5 steals as a junior. He's also a top track
athlete who just won the state 400 meters (49.77) and was part of a 4x400
relay team that finished second in the State Meet.
Mazzulla said he's always wanted to play in the Big East and had favored
Providence College. While the Friars recruited him for nearly two years, a
scholarship offer never came. That only cemented Mazzulla's belief in
Beilein, according to Mazzulla's father, Dan, a star hoop player at Bryant
in the 1970s.
"I'm ecstatic. We always talked about playing at the highest level," Dan
Mazzulla said, "and what happened with Providence might have left doubt in
Joe's mind, but West Virginia never wavered. Not once."
West Virginia first contacted Mazzulla after seeing him at a summer camp
before his sophomore year in high school. Beilein flew up here to watch Joe
Mazzulla work out at Hendricken two months ago, but no member of the
Mountaineers' coaching staff ever saw their future point guard play in a
Rhode Island high school game. They have seen him play extensively with his
AAU team, the Rhode Island Breakers.
Mazzulla will travel with the Breakers to tournaments in New Jersey and Las
Vegas this summer.
Mazzulla is a big hoops fan and couldn't hide his excitement over playing in
the new, 16-team Big East.
"Just the places I get to play in -- Freedom Hall, the Carrier Dome,
Cincinnati, Connecticut. It's great," he said.
Mazzulla becomes only the fourth Rhode Islander to play men's basketball in
the Big East, joining Tony Robertson (Connecticut), Abdul Abdullah (PC) and
Kenny McDonald (PC).
RI Breaker 13's Take Tourney
Title
Warwick, RI - The 13 yr old squad took home another title this weekend,
their third on the young season, with a championship game victory over Team
Providence at the Breaker's Spring Tournament at CCRI.
In their first game of the tournament on Friday night, an explosive scoring
attack led by guards Malcolm Moniz and Curt Lucas gave the Breakers a
decided advantage for a 83-39 victory. The 13's second game was a tough
contest against M.A.D. Basketball of Massachusetts. The Breakers opened up
an 18 point lead at one point in the second half before allowing the M.A.D.
club to creep back into the game and tie the score with 2 minutes to go in
regulation. Down by 1 with 11 seconds to go, forward Nick Manning drilled a
three point shot and was fouled to give the 13's the lead by two. Manning's
free throw attempt came up short and M.A.D. drove the length of the court to
tie the game and send the contest into overtime. Forward Quinneil Simmon's
free throws and defensive play at the end of overtime sealed the 55-52 win
for his squad. Defensively, the Breakers were led in the game by Simmons,
Manning, Moniz and forward Michael Ryan. The 13's final game was against
Mass Elite who proved to be overmatched versus the talented Breakers. Final
score was 86-46 in favor of the Breakers. Guard Jordan Jones and forward
Frank Robinson led the Breakers in scoring.
In the championship game, the 13's took on Team
Providence who had rolled
through their bracket in pool play. Team Providence's talented, athletic
squad gave the Breakers all they could handle in the first half playing
aggressive defense and forcing numerous turnovers. However led by the
scoring of Simmons, Jones and guard Bryan Vachon, the Breakers outscored
Team Providence an amazing 52-18 in the second half to pull away for the
championship. The team is off this weekend and will next play in the
Commotion by the Ocean tournament in Providence over Mother's Day Weekend.
The Breaker 13's will be traveling to Albany twice this season with trips
scheduled for Nike tournaments in Columbus, Ohio and Las Vegas, Nevada as
well as competing for the AAU National Championship in June in Memphis,
Tennessee.
Breaker 13's
Strong Effort Comes Up Short Versus Above and Beyond in Providence Jamfest
Providence, RI- At the
HoopGroup's 8th annual Providence Jamfest, the RI
Breaker's 13 yr old squad went undefeated in pool play with
victories over
CMAC North, the New Hampshire Stingrays, and the New Jersey Panthers
before
dropping a close quarter-final game in tournament play to a tough Above
and
Beyond (formally the NY Gouchos) squad.
With an 8 point lead and just over a minute remaining, the 13's couldn't
capitalize on a number of scoring opportunities off the Above and Beyond
press. After holding an 8-10 point lead for most of the game, the
Breakers
actually found themselves trailing by a point with 25 seconds to go when
forward Nick Manning was fouled. Manning made two free
throws with 18
seconds left to give his team the lead again 49-48. With only 11
seconds to
go, Above and Beyond sank two free throws to take the lead for good.
Playing well over the weekend for the Breaker 13's were Nick Manning
and
Quinneil Simmons along with Curt Lucas and Michael Ryan, both of
whom were
named to the All-Tournament team. The weekend was a successful one for
the
talented 13's who have proven they can play among the top teams at their
age
level. The Breaker 13's have the weekend off and will next play in the
Breakout Tournament the weekend of April 22-24.
HENDRICKEN'S JOE MAZZULLA
Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson
AAU basketball has grown to an extremely high
level of quality over the past twenty years. Often, a young player finds
his best opportunity to showcase his skills during the Spring and Summer
AAU season against top notch competition. This is especially true for up
and coming Rhode Island players, who play their high school ball in what
is generally thought of as a lower-end interscholastic league.
...MORE ON THIS STORY,
CLICK HERE
Breakers Bust Out At Barros BBall Classic
The 14 year old Breakers will be in action again this weekend in Providence at Hoop Groups Jam Fest Tournament.
SORRENTINE WINS FOURTH NE-10 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK AWARD
COLCHESTER, Vt.
- Saint Michael's College men's basketball
standout James Sorrentine (Pawtucket,
R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) was named
the Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday, while a pair of
Purple Knight cagers earned spots on the Weekly Honor Roll.
Sorrentine averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and just one
turnover per contest in a 1-1 week. He notched a game-high 28 points,
connecting on eight 3-pointers, and a team-best six assists in Tuesday's 89-84
win versus Assumption College at the Ross
Sports Center. He added 13 points, four rebounds and two steals in Saturday's
overtime loss at American International College.
This is the fourth time this season, and the second straight week, that
Sorrentine has earned top freshman honors. The 5-10 guard leads the conference
and all Division II freshmen with 3.75 3-pointers per game, and he has played
all 215 minutes for Saint Michael's the last five contests.
RAY CROSS NAMED HASBRO HERO!
CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE ON THE BREAKERS COACH
(ARTICLE IS IN ADOBE ACROBAT
FORMAT, SCROLL TO PAGE 17)
Prep star gets a head start at PC
Jon Kale, a 6-foot-8
forward at St. Andrew's School who has signed on to play for the Friars,
starting next season, feels right at home with his future teammates.
<click here for
more of the article>
SORRENTINE NAB'S NORTHEAST-10 FRESHMEN HONORS
COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College first-year , James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael
Academy) was named Northeast-10
Conference Freshmen of the Week on Monday after leading the men's basketball
teams, to impressive home victories.
Sorrentine garnered his third NE-10 Freshman of the Week award this season after tallying a game-high 25 points, including seven 3-pointers, in Saturday's 86-84, double-overtime victory versus Le Moyne College. Sorrentine played all 50 minutes in the contest, and assisted on the game-winning basket with 0.5 seconds left. He leads all Division II freshmen (and is eighth nationally) with a league-leading 3.7 3-pointers per game.
Last Saturday, University of Vermont senior point guard T.J. Sorrentine scored 25 points -- including five 3-pointers -- to help the America East co-leaders defeat Maine, 67-66, in Burlington. Just across the Winooski River in Colchester, his brother James was doing his thing for St. Michael's as the freshman sank eight 3-point shots and scored 30 points as the Purple Knights held off Franklin Pierce, 80-73.
Because UVM's game started at noon, T.J. was able to be in the stands at St. Michael's for its 3 p.m. game to root for his brother.
"It's great to have him up here and at a great program like St. Michael's," said T.J., who is averaging 18.1 points and 4.7 assists for UVM. "It may be better for him to be close by since he is in his first year of college. Our parents love it and could not be happier with us being here. So many times we play on the same weekend they can catch both games in one trip."
The brothers were coached at Saint Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, R.I., by their father, Tom. James, who was named Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week for the second time yesterday, was one trey shy of the St. Michael's record for a game and is second in the conference in 3-pointers per game at 3.4. T.J. leads the conference with 40 3-pointers.
"It was great to have my brother at the game watching and cheering me on," said James. "He's the player I try to mold my game after, both offensively and defensively."
St. Michael's coach Tim O'Shea said the younger Sorrentine has adapted to the college game better than most freshmen.
"He's a typical coach's son, just a real gym rat," said O'Shea. "He loves to work on his game and loves to practice, and that carries over into games."
UVM, meanwhile, is riding a six-game winning streak after beating Dartmouth, 78-68. T.J. leads America East and ranks 10th nationally at 3.6 3-pointers per game. He had made five or more 3-point field goals in his previous four games before last night, when he went 2 for 7.
"The one thing T.J. brings to the table," said UVM coach Tom Brennan, "is his tremendous hunger, as he wants to win so bad. He's our unquestioned leader and our hardest worker."
And a great role model for his brother.
South Kingstown's Matt Murphy, left, and Hendricken's David Wilson
vie for a rebound last night. Journal / Glenn
Osmundson
RI Breaker "Poster Child " D.J. Carcieri,
Hendricken goes after a loose ball
during a Division I game Tuesday. The Hawks won, 75-40.
Cincinnati's Eric Hicks shoots over Longwood's Lamar Barrett during a Las Vegas Holiday Classic game Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)
Men's Basketball Falls 88-56 At Old Dominion
December 20, 2004
NORFOLK, Va. – Longwood University dropped an 88-56 men’s basketball decision at Old Dominion University Monday night in Norfolk. The Monarchs (10-1) had four players in double-figure scoring, led by Isaiah Hunter with 17 points, while the Lancers (1-12) were led by freshman Lamar Barrett/Providence, R.I. (St. Andrews) with 17 points. Longwood will play again Thursday, Dec. 23, at Northern Iowa beginning at 8:05 p.m. in its opening game of the Las Vegas Holiday Classic
SORRENTINE WINS NE-10 WEEKLY AWARD
COLCHESTER, Vt. - James Sorrentine of Saint Michael's
College garnered the weekly Freshman of the Week award from the Northeast-10
Conference, it was announced on Monday.
In men's basketball, James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) received NE-10 Freshman of the Week accolades. The shooting guard averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 assists, two steals and just one turnover per game in a pair of league contests. At Pace University on Saturday, he set a program record with 15 3-point attempts (making six), while scoring a game-high and season-high 23 points, along with four rebounds and five assists. He added 12 points (4-of-9 on 3-pointers) versus Saint Anselm College on Wednesday.
With the buzz in the air being the Red Sox, Patriots and yes the Jets, 54 teams descended on the Community College of RI this weekend to battle for 7 championships. Great basketball was witnessed at all levels. The following teams took away Team Trophies and T-Shirts:
2005 RI Breaker Dates as Follows:
www.ribreakers.com
860-928-1604 Dave Vitale
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Former Breaker Joins
RIC Staff |
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MEN'S BASKETBALL OFFICE |
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Jonathan Gibbs enters his first season as an assistant men’s basketball
coach at Rhode Island College. He assists head coach Jack Perri with all
phases of the RIC men’s basketball program including recruiting,
scouting, administering practices and game coaching. |
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It’s A Wrap……..
Most kids use a weekend in August as one of their last chances to goof around before school starts but around 300 kids from 7 states and Canada “Wrapped Up” their AAU season in Providence this weekend.
New Hampshire Knicks, Ct. Clippers, Tim Thomas Playaz, New Haven Heat, RI Hawks, NJ Trailblazers, Greater Boston Lions, Montreal Ballers, Merrimack NH HS, Philly Heat, Monmouth Power NJ, Manhasset (NY) All-Stars, Staten Island Gym Rats, Mass Hoop Jaguars, Middletown (CT) Bulldogs, Sun Youth (Montreal), Capital District Raptors, and RI Breakers played through the rain, heat and humidity in a great weekend of basketball. Championship teams received a team trophy, team MVP, & T-Shirts for players and coaches
One sad note, The NJ Knighthawks were involved in a minor accident in NY that resulted in the team having to turn back to NJ. Everyone was OK and we wish them well.
04’ Wrap-Up Tournament Champions:
11's RI Breakers 66, Tim Thomas Playaz 41
12's RI Breakers 78, New Haven Heat 74
15/16's Capital District Raptors 3-0 pool play… No Championship game
MVP: Cody Daigle
17's RI Breakers 76 Montreal Ballers 45
MVP: DJ Carcieri - RI Breakers
Leading most of the way against the home town team wasn't good enough as the Breakers were not able to withstand the loss of four players to fouls as the host Annesse Sports Tennessee defeated the Breakers 56-54 in game two of pool play.
Facing a must win situation the Breakers responded with a solid team effort with great help from the bench to overcome a very strong Team Texas for a 59-56 victory.
The Breakers enter the National Tournament on Wednesday, July 7th, with a 10:00AM game vs. the Spartanburg Bucks from South Carolina
Breaker Teams Headed To The Nationals
Rhode Island's Sanders scores 29 in leading team to win over
Skillz
The first day of pool play in the 2004 AAU Boys
15-under National Championship Tournament saw a number of outstanding
individual performances, games that came down to the wire, and also a few
blowouts.
Here are some of Sunday's highlights.
In Pool P, the Rhode Island Breakers got a 29-point outburst from Rakin Sanders, as the Breakers outlasted the Fox Valley Skillz 54-50.
Fox Valley, which was held to 22 second-half points, was led by Keaton Nankivil with 13 points.
Breakers Shine As Hartford City Stars Fade
John Smith’s RI Breaker 15-year-old team had one mission in mind when they agreed to play in the Hartford City Star Classic this past weekend at Buckley High School in Hartford, and that was to avenge a loss they sustained against the Stars in Providence at the 'BREAKOUT' Tournament in April. Mission accomplished.
The Breakers breezed through their first two games in pool play but had a lofty opponent to get through just to get out of pool play, the Massachusetts Gold Boston Blazers. The Blazers came out of the gate early posting a 4-0 lead but the Breakers went on a 5-0 run and never looked back on route to a 58-51 victory.
The Middletown Bulldogs were the next hurdle for the Breakers and the Bulldogs bark was bigger than its bite. Middletown Connecticut, home to former great University of Connecticut All-American Corny Thompson, was outplayed in a lopsided 51-21 victory.
The championship game saw the Stars break out to a 17-4 early lead only to see the Breakers answer with a 36-7 run to end the half with a comfortable 40-24 lead. To Hartford’s credit, they chipped away to cut the lead, and had it not been for a Joey Accaoui jumper the Breakers might not have held on to the thrilling 63-61 finish.
"The kids really came together this weekend. The return of Rakim Sanders (3 thunderous dunks over the weekend) seemed to energize the rest of the team. We shared the ball and played exhausting defense," Smith said.
The Breakers will be hosting a Pre-National Tournament on June 26-27 in Providence for age groups 15-17. Few spots remain. Go to www.ribreakers.com or email dv@myeastern.com for more information.
17:U Age Division
The Rhode Island Breakers lived up to their nickname at the 2004 GymRat CHALLENGE, 'breaking' the title aspirations of several formidable foes with a series of second-half comebacks to secure the 17-and-under division title. Rhode Island likely wouldn't have escaped its Round of 16 contest against the NYC Rise Panthers without the stellar play of tourney MVG (Most Valuable GymRat) Joe Mazzula. The 6-foot-1 lefty point guard sliced through the Panthers for a game-high 18 points, including 10 over the final three minutes. Shawn Crawford provided the Panthers a 51-49 lead on a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left and when Anthony Clarke stole the ball with 12 seconds left, Rhode Island's tournament appeared to be over. But Clarke missed on a lay-up and the Breakers outletted the ball to Jimmy Baron, who drained a 3-pointer with one second left to propel Rhode Island to a thrilling come-from-behind triumph. In the semifinals, the Breakers trailed the powerful New York City Jaguars by 14 midway through the second half before Mazzula and Baron worked their magic again. Baron scored 17 of his game-high 20 points after intermission -- including completing several gorgeous set-ups from Mazzula. Baron drained five 3-pointers in the second half, while Mazzula contributed 11 of his 15 points after intermission as the Breakers rallied for a 66-63 victory. T.J. Stokes scored 18 points and Richard Thomas added 16 points for the Jaguars.
Mazzula suffered a leg injury in the semifinal victory and it limited his unstoppable drives to the basket against the Stamford Express. Still, Mazzula maintained his effectiveness by hitting timely jumpers and setting up teammates like Baron, Dave Wilson and Zerimar Ramirez to spoil Stamford's bid for the tournament title. Job Casimir, Stamford's dynamic 5-11 point guard, put together a spectacular three-point blitz that fell just short. Mazzula, who won't celebrate his 16th birthday until June 30, put the Express away with two foul shots with three seconds left and later received a victory ride from his teammates after the announcement he had earned MVP honors.
"It was difficult playing hurt, but it was just a matter of keeping my mind focused on the task at hand. I didn't want to let my teammates down," said Mazzula, an honors student at Bishop Hendricken. "This was such a great team effort," Rhode Island head coach Dave Vitale said. "Joe is very deserving of MVP honors and Jimmy Baron hit a lot of big shots. We were behind in some games and fought back with defense and smart team play."
17:U GymRat CHALLENGE-MVG-Most Valuable GymRat
Joe Mazzula (6-foot-1 Point Guard, Rhode Island Breakers): The talented lefty slasher simply couldn't be stopped on his numerous junkets to the basket. Mazzula spearheaded a serious of comebacks in the championship round to guide the Breakers to the tournament title. The 15-year old point guard, who is also the New England region 400-meter sprint champion in track and field, displayed exceptional decision-making skills, a silky-smooth jump shot and an uncanny knack at making crucial defensive plays by attacking the passing lanes or simply shutting down anyone he guarded. Mazzula, who turns 16 on June 30, played on guts alone in the championship game after suffering a leg injury at the end of a semifinal victory over the NYC Jaguars. Mazzula will be a junior in September, meaning he still has two years left to expand on an already-advanced game.
17:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team
Jimmy Baron (6-3 G, Rhode Island Breakers): The Worcester Academy bound CLUTCH sharpshooter hit BIG shots when they counted for the 17:U champs, including a game winning three in the round of 16. Arguably, the best range in the event, but make no mistake, there are several dimensions to Baron's game, including an adept ability to put the ROCK in the right place. High basketball IQ meets big basketball ability.
Honorable
Mention Selections
Dave Wilson (6-5 F, Rhode Island Breakers)
Michael Gore (6-6 G/F, Rhode Island Breakers)
Zerimar Ramirez (6-6 C/F, Rhode Island Breakers)
16:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team
Honorable Mention Selections
Kashef Montgomery (Rhode Island Breakers)
15:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team
Joey Accaoui (5-9 PG, Rhode Island Breakers): Exceptional shooter with great range to go along with solid fundamental skills. Plays point and shooting guard. Sees the floor extremely well and finds teammates at right time. A pesky defender
Vitale switches
allegiances
Former Putnam boys basketball
coach takes over at Marianapolis.
By Al North
Special to the Norwich Bulletin
There were some epic battles between the Putnam and Marianapolis boys basketball teams when the two both belonged to the Quinebaug Valley Conference and, briefly, the Eastern Connecticut Conference.
There were also some epic squabbles between the Putnam and Marianapolis coaching staffs.
Dave Vitale was more than familiar with them, in fact, he was in the middle of them.
Vitale served as Tony Falzarano's assistant coach with the Putnam Clippers for 25 years but left the high school sidelines two years ago.
Vitale re-surfaced this week as he has been named the head coach of the school he used to love to beat - Marianapolis.
"I told them I wasn't interested in any other job in the States of Connecticut or Rhode Island; this is really the only job that piqued my curiosity," Vitale said.
"The school and it's administration see the same things that I do. They want to put on a quality program with quality kids who will represent the school well and they want to win."
It's the first head coach's position at this level for Vitale, who continued to coach on the AAU level after he resigned as a Putnam assistant. His reputation, however, precedes him and Marianapolis Athletic Director Eric Gustavson was more than pleasantly surprised to hear that Vitale was as interested in the Thompson school as they were in him.
"After Chuck (Bourgeois) stepped down, I had kidded around with him about him taking over the program but I never thought he would do it especially given the history of the rivalry," Gustavson said.
"It's certainly a great land for the school and we hope he brings us in a different direction and attracts a lot of scholar-athletes to the program," the Marianapolis AD added.
And in this case, reputation can go a long way.
"He has the name recognition, is a proven coach and a proven winner. We don't want to take kids from one certain program but rather get kids from Worcester, Norwich and other areas -- and he's a big drawing card," Gustavson explained.
The program had been under the guidance of a former Vitale charge, Fred Touchette, but the Knights had not been as competitive as they had hoped in their first two years in the Southeastern New England Prep School League.
"The program has had a little downside over the last couple of years, but I think with everything in place and everyone working toward the same goals," Vitale said. "I think we can right the ship."
The new coach will have an upside to deal with immediately as the Thompson school now has a waiting list for entrants and can afford to be a little more selective when it comes to who will be admitted.
Vitale also loves the idea that he doesn't have to deal with rules imposed by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.
"It's a lot different than public school because your hands are tied in the public schools. Being able to work kids out where the CIAC doesn't allow you to meet with your players in the offseason legally and prep school is more lenient on that issue," Vitale explained.
"They encourage you to put a good product on the field or court, make those kids available, and a student-athlete should want to take advantage of that opportunity to further his education."
Gustavson re-emphasized something he said when Marianapolis left the ECC for the Prep School ranks. The administration of the school doesn't want a basketball factory, but does want a program they can take pride in which will attract student athletes. And that is what Vitale is expected to do.
The new head coach has also been given the authority to choose his coaching staff and that may also have a decidedly Putnam flavor.
Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Gillian Announces 2004 Recruits
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| Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Gillian |
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University men's basketball head coach
Mike Gillian has announced that four high school seniors
have signed a National Letter of Intent to compete for the
institution's men's basketball program. The Lancers are required to meet
Division I scheduling requirements during 2004-05 as the program will be a
countable Division I opponent, and will be included in the all-important
Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) during the second year of its four-year
transition period toward Division I reclassification and official
certification in September 2007.
Lamar Barrett, a 6-5, 185-pound forward from St. Andrew's
School (Rhode Island Breakers) in Barrington, R.I.,
Jason Davis, a 6-3, 185-pound guard-forward from Windsor
High School in Windsor, Conn., Brandon Giles, a 5-10,
145-pound guard from Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., and
Dana Smith, a 6-4, 190-pound guard from C.D. Hylton High School
in Woodbridge, will each join the Longwood program this fall.
"BARRETT averaged 11.3 points and 8.9 rebounds this year while leading St. Andrew's to a record of 25-7 and the New England Final Four. He was a McDonald's All-American nominee while earning honorable mention All-America from Street & Smith's magazine, All-New England, and All-State honors in Rhode Island. Barrett posted 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds as a junior and finished his prep career with 1,102 points and 918 rebounds. St. Andrew's School has retired his jersey.
"Lamar is a very good all-around player," explained Gillian. "He is the type of multi-dimensional player that we want to have in the program and we are expecting him to make an immediate contribution. Lamar can defend any of the positions on the court, is a very good rebounder at both ends, and a crafty scorer. He scored over 1000 points in high school playing against some of the best competition in the country."
Longwood will open 2004-05 with its participation in a tournament hosted by Ivy League member Columbia University in New York City on November 19-20, 2004. The Lancers will be joining the host Lions (10-17) in the event along with Morehead State University (16-13) and Mount St. Mary's College (10-19).
PURPLE KNIGHT MEN INK
SORRENTINE TO NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT
Pawtucket's
James Sorrentine signs with Saint Michael's
COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's basketball coach Tom O'Shea has announced that James Sorrentine, a Pawtucket, R.I. native has signed a NCAA national letters of intent and will play for the Division II Purple Knights as freshmen this fall.
"Sorrentine, a 5-10 point guard, was also a 1,000-point scorer at Saint Raphael Academy. He led Saint Raphael to the Rhode Island Division I-AA semifinals, scoring 29 points in a quarterfinal win and 18 in the semifinal loss to the eventual state champion. Sorrentine averaged a team-leading 18.5 points per contest last season, and also contributed 4.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He led the Saints by connecting on 42 percent (87-for-208) of his three-point attempts.
"James is a dedicated worker, and he doesn't miss any workouts," said Tom Sorrentine, James' father and the boy's basketball coach at Saint Raphael. "Offensively James is pretty sound, and he's a terrific foul shooter. He really loves the Saint Michael's coaching staff, as those guys will be his father for four years."
"James is a very good three-point shooter who had an excellent career playing for his father at Saint Raphael," said O'Shea. "We look for James to play both point guard and shooting guard for us."
80 teams from 8 states
jammed into the Community College of RI, Providence Country Day, and the
Wheeler School for 3 days of great basketball. With Sunday being Easter,
competition started Thursday evening with 16 games. In the 17 year old
division tough competition was packed into 3 pools. The Pool A favorite Doc
Nicelli’s Student Athletes Broncos had all it could handle with an overtime
victory over the Ct. Knights, a hard fought victory over the Ct. Northstars
North and a thriller over the Boston Blazers. In Pool B Shaq attack withstood
2 battles from the Baystatemagic and CT Northstars South and overpowered the
Atlantic Swish. In Pool C, the RI Breakers handled the South Shore Patriots
and the Boston Gators and had to come from behind to defeat the NH Playaz in
the last 4 minutes. Shaq Attack led from start to finish over the Bronco’s
and surprised the NYC team with a 13 point victory. In the championship, the
Breakers dug in on defense in the second half and slipped by the rival Shaq,
with a hard fought 56-49 victory. Jim Baron led the way with 20 while Joe
Mazzula added 16. Teams were awarded championship and MVP trophies as well as
embroidered knap sacks for all players on the winning team.
17’s – RI Breakers 56, Shaq Attack 49
16’s - Middlesex Magic 64, RI Breakers 54
15’s - RI Breakers 56, CT. Nike Elite 42
14’s - Team ROC NYC 54, RI Breakers 27
13’s – Boston Blazers Byron 45, Bay State Magic 39
12’s – RI Breakers 62, Bay State Warriors
11’s – RI Breakers 67- Baystatemagic 60
Jim Baron, Hendricken
Connor Evans, Cranston East
Derrick Knighton, Hope
Chris Young, Hope
Kofo Edmonds, Hope
Mike McParland, La Salle
Darrell Taylor, Mt. Pleasent
Anthony Fiocco, North Providence
Lamar Barrett, St Andrew's
Ray Cross, St Andrew's
Nick Mattone, St Andrew's
James Sorrentine, St Ray's
Jeff Xavier, St Ray's
R.I. Breakers capture 14-and-under title at Milt Kelley tourney
| DAVID WOLCOTT , Gazette Staff Writer | 03/26/2004 |
TAUNTON -- The Rhode Island Breakers took the 14-and-under division at the
Milt Kelley Memorial Basketball Tourney last night with a 56-50 win over
the Boston Squires.
R.I.
Breakers 56, Boston Squires 50 (14-and-under championship game)
Richard King scored nine points for the winners, tossing in nine points
last night to help his team to the win. Jerrell Gomes led the winners with
12 points while Kevin Barr scored 20 points for the Boston Squires in the
loss.
King was named MVP for the 14-and-under bracket.
The 12 year old Breakers captured their first title of the year in the Boston
Saintz BeanTown Massacre. A great team effort helped the Breakers to a 4-0
weekend. Saturday the team beat the Bay State Jaguars handily and then
defeated a very good Rochester (NY) Eastside team 53-42. Joe Sharkey lead the
way offensively against Rochester and Nick Manning played great defense to
help the team to victory. Sunday the Breakers beat M.A.D. from Dochester Ma,
by 8 and then had a rematch with Rochester. The rematch resulted in a 8 point
victory lead by Curtis Lucas and Malcolm Moniz. The team heads to Patterson
NJ this upcoming weekend to play in the Tim Thomas Playaz tournament to paly
the likes of the NY Gauchos, the Playaz and Sam Rhines(Philadelphia).
City Stars, Breakers Dominate Play
4th Annual Tedino Memorial in the books
44 teams from 9 states jammed into the Community College of Rhode Island's Knight Campus for the 4th Annual George Tedino Memorial Boys Basketball Tournament. With the tournaments focus on the memory of the former Breaker Coach, teams competed like they were in mid season form.
The Hartford City Stars headed back to the Nutmeg's State capitol city with two championships. A hard fought 1 point victory of the Breakers in the 12 year old division. In the 15 year old division the City Stars survived a battle from the RI Breakers in semi final action with a one point overtime thriller and a 15 point victory over a powerful Brockton Blackhawks team to take the crown. These 3 teams can surely be considered 3 of the premiere teams in New England and the Northeast. Former Providence College star Corey Wright's 13 year old Young Bucks took home the gold and put Rhode Island and New England teams on notice that they are ready to go. The Breakers were champs in the 14, 16, and 17's where Andy Matteson's 16's came from 20 down in the championship to squeak out a victory. A new team out of Hartford, the Hartford Knights, gave Mike Stephen's RI State Champs all they could handle before they pulled away late to capture the championship. The 17's clicked on all cylinders to go undefeated and beat Pete Waters' WBA Hawks in championship play.
Thanks to all who participated and we look forward to competing again.
Life Lesson
It's been a life-changing decision, one that could catapult Andrew Lyell into the national college basketball consciousness.
But that doesn't mean it was any easier for the former Portsmouth High standout to leave home last fall and enroll at Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School in pursuit of his personal hoops dream.
"I'm getting used to it. Every day that
goes by, it's getting better and better. And now that it's basketball
season it makes it a lot easier," Lyell said on a
recent trip to town.
He continued, "It was like the week before the end of summer when the
decision was made. I wasn't ready to leave. It really took me by
surprise. I was really upset. I wanted to be here this year."
Lyell left Portsmouth High and friends behind not on his volition
